Baizou wrote:There's only one other romance RP on NationStates that I heard about and remember as being more than just one-liner oddness, though it was so long I no longer remember the nations' names. I remember it was an odd alternative-timeline-dictatorship nation, yet also apparently just a pretty pedestrian, saccharine romance arc.

Miro and Feo are pretty good, but that's just Zitrav's characters.
I wouldn't call Ambie and Amaki an "rp" but that counts too.

_{and patron x miro uwu}

Baizou wrote:

Las Palmeras wrote:Now to change themes: Holding hands- On romance...or a romantic subplot. I'm seriously considering hinting at one but not actually writing about it. Romance tropes are...meh.

as the voice of Palpatine: Dewit.

I'm a bit of a sucker for romance stories myself, though I suppose they don't tend to get executed well on NationStates. The usual writers aren't typically up to the task... ^~^;

Charlie and Rairai will find common ground in being law-enfocement being has-beens and getting baked. And also, they're technically the "real" Charles and Montse. Fitting as I wanna "downgrade" them.

Kiu Ghesik wrote:Ah, so happiness is something that only happens in Soviet!Palmeras. I see.

Or Tohorin, depending on how much I delve in the matter...

But yeah, I actually began to realize how they really are turning into an opposite the Miroslavsky pair:
1). The comically short Montse's the domineering anti-social psycho and the taller Charles is on the submissive side of the relationship, though not physically, he's just outsmarted and tricked and backstabbed and quite possibly, bamboozled.
2.) Charles more or less just wants to do a good job for his country just like Feodora, but he's hot headed, brash, uncouth and though he's not dumb, he's far from bright.
3.) He's the one with light hair, she has a pitch black hue.
4.) Montse actually wants power like Kazimir...but she's not getting any. Tepka/Montse can scheme all she wants, but she's just a platonic courtesan who has to bow down to the very people she hates. The Constitution is too strong, even if she can try to blackmail several ministers.
5.) Charles isn't competitive or jealous like K, because he's over-confident in his...uh...abilities and the several women he surrounds himself with. It's Montse who wants breathing space, quite simply because she's emotionally cold.
6.) Their antics are leading to a rise in Republicanism because they're not that popular.

I'm gonna have my leader fight against Goku in a tournament arc.

Factbook paragraphs come in two sorts: giant wall-of text paragraphs and short one-sentence paragraphs.

Kiu Ghesik wrote:

Miku the Based wrote:Okay, now I'm horny.

I'm not that horny, if at all...ok, Hamlet is lit.

The Western Fardelshufflestein Sentinel | 12 March 2022 | King Celebrates 47th Birthday | I blocked all TGs because I pretty much just get WA TGs, and they're annoying. | Putin Announces Fear of Liechtenstein

Remembers that time when an actual ICly neckbeard was in love with Holly (my character from "Garden at 6th Mile Road") as a waifu. I mean, it is obviously satire but like damn, that is something entirely.

Chairman Eugene Darwin, of the nation "The Neckbeard Assembly" wrote:• This Holly sounds like waifu material, I think I'll take some time off from the Assembly and pay her a visit. I hope she appreciates my gift of our experimental Mountain Dew.

• Pretty, and capable of growing to enormous sizes. Holly is my dream girl, I've finally found the waifu for me.

• I rate her 10/10, absolute best waifu. I don't even care about the cold, her personality and ability to grow in size outweigh the whole freezing thing.

• Ah, Holly is so perfect. I definitely don't want her to go and hide forever, maybe I could send her some gifts to show her how much I love her and want to be with her. The Mountain Dew thing probably won't work, so I'll have to give it some serious thought.

South Reinkalistan wrote:

Las Palmeras wrote:No ritualistic torture made out of genuine altruism for humanity? For shame...

Again, even this is much more easily achieved with modern technology. Stone knives versus chainsaws. Come on.

Ease defeats the purpose of many sacrifices, be them literally sacrifices or shows abnegation; not all actions are based on efficiency or productivity, at least not in the Western sense. That's where the beauty and frustration of PT sometimes comes into play. And why I quit it. If it's done too in-depth, the self-consistent ethos of my IC societies...or a specific aristocratic warrior cast that has the gift of memory and writing...are lost upon many readers, who can't seem to grasp they're operating under a different set of logic. If the context wasn't a big enough hint.

And besides, mass-produced MT/PMT/FT killing machines will never have that exotic individual charm or soul that ethnographic weapons do...

South Reinkalistan wrote:Let's just face it. When it comes to being cartoonishly oppressive, you really can't beat modernity. Try as you might, but the industrial revolution waits for nobody when it comes to inventing new ways to harm your fellow man.

Well yeah, quantitatively speaking and probably quality-wise once mass surveillance, totalitarianism and social engineering, and other PMT goodies kick in...but if one places enough emphasis on narrating individual cases of human suffering wrought by a State, it can certainly still be done in a PT setting. Just probably not cartoonish in scale.

Of course, a writer can risk the possibility of reflecting their present onto the past too much; that's a comfort people who write PMT and FT have less to worry about. I remember a criticism made of Ross Hassig's Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control, IIRC, about one of the authors comparing the issue of warrior-sacrifice to State Shinto's Bushido and Radical Islamic suicide attacks too much. I thought it wasn't all that invalid...ah, where was I? The risk of accuracy. That's just another exciting challenge for PT.

***
Now to list another cliche, or non-cliche:
Retrofuturism really isn't an aesthetic thing here that often. With the exception of Surreal Patagonia and that one other person who likes elves and Art Deco, I can't think of more examples.

Las Palmeras wrote:Retrofuturism really isn't an aesthetic thing here that often. With the exception of Surreal Patagonia and that one other person who likes elves and Art Deco, I can't think of more examples.

I see I must throw yet more filk and 80's SF references into M22 and Palisade, then. We have not yet hit peak rocketpunk.

Similarly, another aesthetic that I love but haven't seen done all that often is proletkult or even Soviet Realism. I mean, they're only vaguely connected, but their vibes are just so rarely emulated here and it's kinda sad given how out there they can get.

Kiu Ghesik wrote:

Las Palmeras wrote:Retrofuturism really isn't an aesthetic thing here that often. With the exception of Surreal Patagonia and that one other person who likes elves and Art Deco, I can't think of more examples.

I see I must throw yet more filk and 80's SF references into M22 and Palisade, then. We have not yet hit peak rocketpunk.

Once had a nation of Grey-skinned human ayys in flying saucers LARPing as Chinese fit for Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon...or Lovecraft considering how much he didn't like Asians.Isn't 80's more cassetepunk, tho?

Funnily enough, out of all the alien species around on FT, I've never seen somebody do the Greys directly.

Las Palmeras wrote:

Kiu Ghesik wrote:I see I must throw yet more filk and 80's SF references into M22 and Palisade, then. We have not yet hit peak rocketpunk.

Once had a nation of Grey-skinned human ayys LARPing as Chinese fit for Buck Rodgers or Flash Gordon...or Lovecraft considering how much he didn't like Asians.

Funnily enough, out of all the alien species around on FT, I've never seen somebody do the Greys directly.

Imagine using aliens in your FT at all.
This post was made by lowballed decimal-estimate Drake equation gang. Fuck the ayys, the stars are man's alone.

Kiu Ghesik wrote:Imagine using aliens in your FT at all.
This post was made by lowballed decimal-estimate Drake equation gang. Fuck the ayys, the stars are man's alone.

Turns out that if you put the Palmerans in FT, they try to fix their shrinking Y chromosome by becoming inter-dimensional sex pests who pick up farmers and destroy crops.

Hmm...has somebody in FT addressed genetic damage caused by cosmic radiation? That seems like it might make awesome plot-lines.

Kiu Ghesik wrote:I wouldn't call Ambie and Amaki an "rp" but that counts too.

You’d be surprised to know I’ve written a lengthy romance story for the HMS Ambaki in the past o7

I am thinking of writing a new one that tackles both Ambrosia’s and Amaki’s responsibilities as the respective leaders of their nations while also keeping the fire of their l o v e bright and shining because what can I say? I’m an absolute sucker for romance. No promises though since I tend be too busy these days and wonder if I even have the time or energy to write a story

Bloodshade Broadcasting Company| Actually re-writing my lore, I should't be on the forums but I am | Updated my video game screenshots, features Planet Zoo and Warhammer 2 | I need sleep but sleep doesn't need me | Edelgard is the cutest warmonger |

Las Palmeras wrote:Turns out that if you put the Palmerans in FT, they try to fix their shrinking Y chromosome by becoming inter-dimensional sex pests who pick up farmers and destroy crops.

Hmm...has somebody in FT addressed genetic damage caused by cosmic radiation? That seems like it might make awesome plot-lines.

oh no

I technically did for M22 to some extent, but in the sense that "the solution for developed societies is get a little better at treating cancers and line the boxes people were sleeping in with extra slurry and lead"- it had to be considered a "solved problem" for the setting to work properly.

Bloodshade wrote:You’d be surprised to know I’ve written a lengthy romance story for the HMS Ambaki in the past o7

No promises though since I tend be too busy these days and wonder if I even have the time or energy to write a story

wait bro why do i see myself in this sentence

tbh I might write a serious romance like one time out of ten if I felt like it but I just kinda find it hard to create with a straight face. If it's not tongue-in-cheek I just can't manage it, though that's more a personal thing than anything else.

South Reinkalistan wrote:

Las Palmeras wrote:And besides, mass-produced MT/PMT/FT killing machines will never have that exotic individual charm or soul that ethnographic weapons do...

Au contraire, there's something about mass oppression and horror in the more modern sense that somewhat provides an existential sense of terror within the narrative, something that can't be reproduced in PT efficiently. Especially in MT. When writing about such in a PT setting, we all know that human civilisation as a whole will persist and might not be so shitty next time. But, as did the Romans, we can't see that with the modern world, because we live here and can't imagine anything beyond it emerging from its collapse. There's a definite air of finality to totalitarianism in such a sense, insofar that we see ourselves as thoroughly and definitively screwed in perpetuity. To a sense: there's a logic here. There's nothing coming back from nuclear war, and novels describing horrific regimes (say, BNW or 1984) reflect the attitude that you can't get out of true dystopias.

"Imagine a boot stomping on a human face," eh?

I'd definitely agree with that, I suppose, though the alternative criticism that making a mass-produced engine of sacrifice will just come off as stylistic and done for the shock effect rather than logical reasons within the setting does still apply. Not that that really matters; 1984, for instance, is hardly logically efficient, and dystopias of that sort are still very impactful. Hell, SR counts if we consider it more of a 1984-style state. But I'd prefer to write about more, well, subdued dystopias, I guess; I very much like the idea of things winding down into a quiet finality rather than a blunt sense of totality and more emergent dystopias are better at doing that, I guess.

South Reinkalistan wrote:But even then, it's not as if, say, a very advanced civilisation with religious backing couldn't achieve something similar to a greater effect. The symbology, the ingrained sense of metaphysical meaning, instead of being mere projections of the desires of the practitioners, is instead made whole by technological progress. This could allow the thin perceived line between magic and science to decompose, allowing something very esoteric and unique.

Kōdōha Faction ftw!

South Reinkalistan wrote:

Au contraire, there's something about mass oppression and horror in the more modern sense that somewhat provides an existential sense of terror within the narrative, something that can't be reproduced in PT efficiently. Especially in MT. When writing about such in a PT setting, we all know that human civilisation as a whole will persist and might not be so shitty next time. But, as did the Romans, we can't see that with the modern world, because we live here and can't imagine anything beyond it emerging from its collapse. There's a definite air of finality to totalitarianism in such a sense, insofar that we see ourselves as thoroughly and definitively screwed in perpetuity. To a sense: there's a logic here. There's nothing coming back from nuclear war, and novels describing horrific regimes (say, BNW or 1984) reflect the attitude that you can't get out of true dystopias.

Got me there, I don't like optimism because it's too saccharine. I don't like grimdark pessimism becase I feel it defeats the willpower that hope can bring and find that cynicism is the ultimate self-fulfilling prophesy. So, maybe it's natural my stories do tend to reflect a so-so nature that seems to say "life goes on".

Kiu Ghesik wrote:I technically did for M22 to some extent, but in the sense that "the solution for developed societies is get a little better at treating cancers and line the boxes people were sleeping in with extra slurry and lead"- it had to be considered a "solved problem" for the setting to work properly.

As much as I love dunking on FT, I do have to admit that solving problems with space colonization is impressive.

Kiu Ghesik wrote:wait bro why do i see myself in this sentence

tbh I might write a serious romance like one time out of ten if I felt like it but I just kinda find it hard to create with a straight face. If it's not tongue-in-cheek I just can't manage it, though that's more a personal thing than anything else.

One struggle in 'Not enough time to write' gang

I'd encourage you to try your hand. After all, love motivates many actions in ones life that may affect and cause significant events or actions to transpire that can change and affect history. There are plenty of romantic relationships of the like throughout history. Perhaps romance might not even be that significant. It could simply be a wholesome relationship that brings peace to ones mind.

I'd say you don't necessarily have to write a strictly romantic story, I do it because writing romance makes me all warm and fuzzy, but injecting some aspect of love into a storyline can be touching, moving and relatable. After all, love is a universal topic. It can definitely feel odd and maybe a tad bit uncomfortable to write a romantic plot or subplot at first. Hell, it can feel forced if you're not careful so I can understand why one can be hesitant to try their hand at it. I used to watch Jenna Moreci since she was great at helping me avoid common romance tropes and cliches that I would have otherwise fell into. Maybe you can give her videos a shot. They're easily digestible too!

Bloodshade Broadcasting Company| Actually re-writing my lore, I should't be on the forums but I am | Updated my video game screenshots, features Planet Zoo and Warhammer 2 | I need sleep but sleep doesn't need me | Edelgard is the cutest warmonger |

Kiu Ghesik wrote:Imagine using aliens in your FT at all.
This post was made by lowballed decimal-estimate Drake equation gang. Fuck the ayys, the stars are man's alone.

But aliens are cool, and if your FTL is fast enough, then you have a higher chance of meeting them.
This post was made by rule-of-cool and very fast FTL gang.

South Reinkalistan wrote:But at the same time, there's something just so epic about watching the world burn.[/align]

There's no argument there, the first time I read bits of the Anglo American Nazi War e-book I felt I just HAD to make a nation like that. But now people will think I'm making TNO references.

Zeloria wrote:

Kiu Ghesik wrote:Imagine using aliens in your FT at all.
This post was made by lowballed decimal-estimate Drake equation gang. Fuck the ayys, the stars are man's alone.

But aliens are cool, and if your FTL is fast enough, then you have a higher chance of meeting them.
This post was made by rule-of-cool and very fast FTL gang.

Are there any videos or books that describe that stuff made easy-peasy? If I do wanna revive my FT nation...I wanna use technobabble, I'm no scientist, but I also want a bare minimum of speculative realism.

Las Palmeras wrote:

South Reinkalistan wrote:But at the same time, there's something just so epic about watching the world burn.[/align]

There's no argument there, the first time I read bits of the Anglo American Nazi War e-book I felt I just HAD to make a nation like that. But now people will think I'm making TNO references.

Zeloria wrote:
But aliens are cool, and if your FTL is fast enough, then you have a higher chance of meeting them.
This post was made by rule-of-cool and very fast FTL gang.

Are there any videos or books that describe that stuff made easy-peasy? If I do wanna revive my FT nation...I wanna use technobabble, I'm no scientist, but I also want a bare minimum of speculative realism.

If you want your FT nation to be interstellar than you can do it in a few ways. You can use solar-sails, which are the most realistic, but also the most slow. You can use wormholes, which are theoretical possible, but also very costly with energy, or you can use warp-drives, which use space-time bubbles to warp space around.

There is a good youtube-channel for sci-fi stuff called Isaac Arthur.

Zeloria wrote:If you want your FT nation to be interstellar than you can do it in a few ways. You can use solar-sails, which are the most realistic, but also the most slow. You can use wormholes, which are theoretical possible, but also very costly with energy, or you can use warp-drives, which use space-time bubbles to warp space around.

There is a good youtube-channel for sci-fi stuff called Isaac Arthur.

I did it by manipulating "space and time" with "electromagnetism" and wormholes, but that was basically more of an excuse to use flying saucers that go back in time than an end on itself.

Oh and thanks, I'll watch those vids...eventually.

Las Palmeras wrote:Are there any videos or books that describe that stuff made easy-peasy? If I do wanna revive my FT nation...I wanna use technobabble, I'm no scientist, but I also want a bare minimum of speculative realism.

obligatory link to atomic rockets

the technically-intensive stuff is pretty well partitioned from the rest and you can just skim sections if you want. most important stuff- space is not an ocean, orbital mechanics are a thing- are pretty up-front. it's not really into technobabble, though, so if that's your goal I'd just consult it for the bare minimum of a realistic framework and go from there.

also this guy if you want out-there ft done in realistic fashion, but again most of his stuff is out there. nvm zeloria already linked to sexy elmer fudd

for books, I wouldn't know. just go with what you want to write if you can make it logically consistent, I suppose.

South Reinkalistan wrote:Though I think there's a sort of melancholic beauty to, like you say, subdued dystopias. Civilisations taking a sigh of relief, almost, as the burden of existence is lifted from their shoulders and they slip quietly into the night. What's really well-written is those sorts of terminally ill societies that could have achieved so much, and are faced with the regrets of the past as they stare their excruciating death in the face. But I don't like going quietly. I much enjoy a humanity dragged kicking and screaming under the wraps of an all-encompassing hyperdystopia, slowly but surely subjugated. Perhaps that's because I'm an edgy fuck, but hey -- the aesthetics are great.

fuck yeah they are, gamer state best state

I've tried to pull off the "terminally ill society" for Palisade but I don't think I've done the best job at it, I suppose. I guess that's more because I'm with LP on the "life goes on" part of it- I'll try to pull off the dystopia but eventually it's just going to fall into grim neutral "it's hard to change things, and sure, shit sucks, but not even the people at the top are innately evil" territory.

But at the same time, like you said. It's fun to let the world burn.

Zeloria wrote:

Kiu Ghesik wrote:Imagine using aliens in your FT at all.
This post was made by lowballed decimal-estimate Drake equation gang. Fuck the ayys, the stars are man's alone.

But aliens are cool, and if your FTL is fast enough, then you have a higher chance of meeting them.
This post was made by rule-of-cool and very fast FTL gang.

no
slow ftl is the only acceptable ftl

Bloodshade wrote:One struggle in 'Not enough time to write' gang

the chalice one struggle clause is not a military clause
it is a suffering clause

I'd encourage you to try your hand. After all, love motivates many actions in ones life that may affect and cause significant events or actions to transpire that can change and affect history. There are plenty of romantic relationships of the like throughout history. Perhaps romance might not even be that significant. It could simply be a wholesome relationship that brings peace to ones mind.

Now I'm thinking about Cleopatra's complete and total retroactive hornification by the Romans and I'm sad, goddammit.

i know you guys didn't like her but why did you have to write her as being literally a femme fatale
it's blatantly made up, it doesn't even match with the egyptians' own records
why rome, why do you hate people with estrogen so much
whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

I'd say you don't necessarily have to write a strictly romantic story, I do it because writing romance makes me all warm and fuzzy, but injecting some aspect of love into a storyline can be touching, moving and relatable. After all, love is a universal topic. It can definitely feel odd and maybe a tad bit uncomfortable to write a romantic plot or subplot at first. Hell, it can feel forced if you're not careful so I can understand why one can be hesitant to try their hand at it. I used to watch Jenna Moreci since she was great at helping me avoid common romance tropes and cliches that I would have otherwise fell into. Maybe you can give her videos a shot. They're easily digestible too!

Guess I could try and attempt it eventually. kiu no you have no time in your schedule why are you such a pushover no-